EA Sports last night released the first official screenshot from the forthcoming “Madden NFL 15,” showing 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick. The photo notably shows Kaepernick’s tattoos, an element that has not been present in “Madden” on any player in the game historically. Company officials said Kaepernick personally secured copyright permissions from the tattoo artists who performed the work on his body, as he wanted his tattoos represented in the game. A broader inclusion of other players’ tattoos is not currently expected. The NFL does not have a contractual prohibition against the inclusion of player tattoos in “Madden,” but the need to gain additional permissions and licenses from the tattoo artists has presented an additional logistical hurdle for EA Sports (Eric Fisher, Staff Writer).

A RIVERA RUNS THROUGH IT: Cam Newton is currently battling Seahawks CB Richard Sherman to win a fan vote that will determine who appears on the cover of this year's "Madden" game, but ESPN.com's David Newton noted the Panthers QB "won't have the help of his head coach." Panthers coach Ron Rivera noted he voted for Sherman, saying with a smile, "I'm trying to avoid the jinx." The winner will be announced tomorrow night on "SportsCenter" (ESPN.com, 6/4).